Analysis

In this page, we describe the core features of our application by carefully examining our users, the goals they have for using our service, and the domain in which they operate. Providing a customized and successful user experience requires a thorough understanding of these essential components.

User Analysis

Application main targets:

The Antibio-Advisor app is aimed towards individuals aged 18 or above. This is because individuals below 18 years of age tend to have their medical needs taken care of by the adults in their life. Thus, such an app would be of minimal use to them. On the other hand, the targeted individuals fall more in line with people who would seek out and utilise such advice offered by the application. This is due to the fact that older individuals tend to require antibiotics much more frequently due to their age than the rest of the population.

Catering for the target individuals:

In accordance with [1] older individuals are eager to adopt new technologies and learn how to properly utilise them. This is quite beneficial for our use case given that the application is aimed towards individuals aged 18 or older. The application provides the user with the necessary information of how to utilise it fully so as to ensure its proper use. This is crucial as “understanding older adults' perceptions of technology is important to assist with introducing it to this population and maximize the potential of technology to facilitate independent living" [1].

[1]

Task Analysis

What is the purpose of the application?

The purpose behind the application is to reduce the unnecessary consumption of antibiotics by the general populace. This will be done by informing users whether their current symptoms necessitates the use of antibiotics or not.

Steps involved in the process:

The steps involved in the application development revolve around task decomposition which is composed of the following characteristics: “repeatability, clear solving methods, solving process, and final results” [2]. These ideas can be reflected in the process outline which is as follows:

The user initiates a conversation with the chatbot.
The chatbot will ask about the user's symptoms.
Based on the conversation the chatbot will determine the appropriate procedure moving forward.

In addition, the application contains a variety of multi-modal interactions via text, speech and images. In addition to communicating with the chatbot via text prompts, the user would also be free to communicate to the chatbot via speech. Additionally, the application is also projected to offer the ability to scan antibiotics with the aim of keeping track of expiry dates.

Inputs, Outputs, and Dependencies for each task?

The input/outputs for the application to work involve text-based messages/responses going back & forth between user and AI. The main dependencies for this interaction to work revolve around the appropriate data regarding antibiotics and the appropriate response given a user’s set of symptoms.

Task Variations based on different user groups:

No variation between user groups is currently implemented given the simplicity of utilising the application. However, facilities which increase ease of use are in place such as voice-based messaging mainly for use by elderly individuals.

[3]

Domain Analysis

What are Antibiotics?

According to the World Health Organization [4]: "Antimicrobials - including antibiotics, antivirals, antifungals and antiparasitics - are medicines used to prevent and treat infections in humans, animals and plants."

The Main Concern:

The overuse of antibiotics can result in heightened drug resistance, making antibiotics and other antimicrobial treatments less effective. As a result, treating infections becomes increasingly difficult, if not impossible.

This phenomenon is known as Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), and it occurs as bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites change and become resistant to treatment over time. As a result, infections become more difficult to treat, increasing the risk of disease transmission, severe sickness, and even death.

The Global Concern of Antimicrobial Resistance:

AMR creates drug-resistant organisms, posing a global problem. With few new medicines in development, the proliferation of "superbugs" poses a barrier to treatment choices. The economic cost of AMR is substantial, affecting patient productivity and healthcare expenses. Without proper prevention and treatment, medical procedures become more dangerous, putting more lives at risk.

How can this be solved?

To reduce the risk of Antimicrobial Resistance, we can:

Encourage safe antibiotic use.
Improve surveillance and data sharing.
Invest in innovative therapy research.
Adopt a "One Health" strategy.
Ensure that quality antimicrobials are available.
Contribute to worldwide funding projects.
Educate the general public (Our approach).
Concentrate on infection prevention.
Prioritize research on pathogens that pose a high risk.

[4]

References

[1] E. Vaportzis, M. G. Clausen, and A. J. Gow, "Older Adults Perceptions of Technology and Barriers to Interacting with Tablet Computers: A Focus Group Study," Frontiers in Psychology, vol. 8, p. 1687, 2017, doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01687. [Accessed: Oct. 2, 2023].

[2] H. Yan, K. Zhu, and Y. Ling, "The user-resource-task model in intelligent interaction space," in 2015 4th International Conference on Computer Science and Network Technology (ICCSNT), vol. 01, pp. 768-771, 2015. DOI: 10.1109/ICCSNT.2015.7490855. [Accessed: Oct. 4, 2023].

[3] AHRQ Digital Healthcare Research Site, "Task Decomposition," Digital Healthcare Research. [Online]. Available: https://digital.ahrq.gov/health-it-tools-and-resources/evaluation-resources/workflow-assessment-health-it-toolkit/all-workflow-tools/task-decomposition. [Accessed: Oct. 3, 2023].

[4] World Health Organization, "Antimicrobial resistance," [Online]. Available: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/antimicrobial-resistance. [Accessed: Oct. 2, 2023].